Editor's Pick >> Things to do for the Fourth and beyond

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Monday, June 30, 2014 12:00 am

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EDITOR’S PICKS >>

4TH OF JULY IN WILLS PARKWith traditional July 4 Fireworks and Festivities at Wills Park, you will have a fantastic time celebrating America. Pack a picnic and come join the rest of the community in celebrating. Fireworks begin at dusk. July 4. 1825 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta. Please call 678-297-0102 or visit www.awesomealpharetta.com.

4TH OF JULY WALKING PARADEAttendees can decorate their tricycles, bicycles, themselves and everything in-between. The parade proceeds through historic Crabapple. Parking is available at the Crabapple Baptist Church and Strawberry Fields. 9:30 a.m. July 4. Mcfarlin Lane, Milton. Please call 770-371-4699 or visit www.crabapplecommunityassociation.org.

5TH ANNUAL DUTCH MONKEY DOUGHNUTS INDEPENDENCE DAY DOUGHNUT EATING COMPETITIONJoin us for the annual celebration of American gluttony! Four challengers will compete against the two-time champion for this year’s trophy. Come watch the most exciting seven minutes of the year! Entry to the event is free. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase in the event area, with all proceeds benefitting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Georgia Chapter. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 4. 3075 Ronald Reagan Blvd Suite 502, Cumming. Please visit www.dutchmonkeydoughnuts.com for more information.

11TH ANNUAL BBQ AND TURTLE RACE AT THE FOSTER HOUSEJoin us on the fourth of July for our 11th annual BBQ and Turtle Race. BBQ will be sold from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The turtle race will be held at 1 p.m. Registration starts at noon and there’s no fee to enter. Come hungry! We will be selling BBQ plates, snow cones, t-shirts and more. 305 West Main St., Cumming. Please call 770-887-9905 or visit www.foster-house.com.

LOCAL LIVE MUSIC >>

4TH OF JULY AT MATILDA'S WITH CITY HOTEL STRING BANDCelebrate the fourth at Matilda's “Under the Pines” with the City Hotel String Band, a bluegrass Americana band. Bring out some food and drink and a lawn chair and enjoy the show. 8:30 p.m. July 4. 377 South Main St., Alpharetta. Please call 770-754-7831 or visit www.matildascottage.com.

ROSWELL RIVERSIDE SOUNDS FEATURING BIG SOMETHING BANDRiverside Sounds is a free monthly concert in the park the first Saturday of every month, May through October. In July, we welcome Big Something Band to the stage. North Carolina’s Big Something fuses elements of pop, rock and jazz. Winner of the 2010 Homegrown Music Network Album of the year with “Stories from the middle of Nowhere,” the band’s current album, “Big Something,” has opened to critical acclaim. Saturday, July 5 at 7 p.m. 575 Riverside Rd, Roswell.

HOME BY DARK CONCERT AT CHUKKAR FARM POLO CLUBThis concert series features the best performing songwriters in America accompanied by the best instrumentalists on the planet. 2014 marks our 8th season of concerts. Concerts are held the first Saturday of each month, May through November at 8 p.m. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Bring your own food and refreshments. Friday July 4 and Saturday July 5. 1140 Liberty Grove Rd., Alpharetta. Please call 770-664-1533 or visit www.chukkarfarmpoloclub.com.

EVENTS >>

DAHLONEGA’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATIONJoin us on July 4 to celebrate Independence Day family-style in Dahlonega on the historic town square. The day is filled with fun activities, a 5k and 10k, a Patriotic Ceremony on the lawn of the Gold Museum, musicians playing bluegrass, folk and country music and much more. The Independence Day Parade through the historic square begins around 5 p.m. and ends just before the fireworks display. 1 Public Square N., Dahlonega. Please call 706-864-3711 or visit www.Dahlonega.org.

CUMMING FAIRGROUNDS 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION AND STEAM ENGINE PARADEBring your blanket and chairs to sit out on the lawn to enjoy a live band and fireworks display at the Cumming Fairgrounds on Thursday, July 3. The events begin at 6 p.m. when vendors first open. There is no admission or parking fee. The Steam Engine Parade will begin the next day on Friday, July 4 at 10 a.m. 235 Castleberry Rd., Cumming. Please call 770-781-3491 or visit www.cummingfair.net.

WORLD HARVEST CHURCH PRESENTS HONOR OUR HEROES CELEBRATIONCome honor those who have given their lives for freedom. Everyone is welcome. There will be a flyover presentation by two AH-1F Cobra helicopters, a BBQ picnic and music and much more. Service times are 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Outside events will be held immediately after the 11 a.m. service. Sunday, July 6. 320 Hardscrabble Rd., Roswell. Please call 770-643-9223 or visit www.worldharvestchurch.org.

MARKET DAY AT COTTON WOOD ESTATESJoin Cotton Wood Estates for an afternoon of shopping. A wonderful assortment of crafts from a variety of vendors along with delicious chef-prepared refreshments will be available to the public. 1:30 to 5 p.m. July 10. 255 Vaugh Drive, Alpharetta. Please call 678-242-0334.

THEATRE >>

DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEASTThe Johns Creek Players proudly present Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, which will run July 10 through July 12 at Johns Creek High School. A romantic musical for all generations, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film. $20 reserved tickets are available online only at johnscreekplayersonline.com. $17 adult tickets and $14 student/senior general admission tickets are available through any cast member. Show times vary. 5575 State Bridge Rd., Johns Creek. Please call 770-313-1646 or visit www.johnscreekplayers.com.

'DRIVING MISS DAISY'The place is the Deep South, the time 1948, just prior to the civil rights movement. Having recently demolished another car, Daisy Wertham, a rich, sharp-tongued Jewish widow of seventy-two, is informed by her son, Boolie, that henceforth she must rely on the services of a chauffeur. The person he hires for the job is a thoughtful, unemployed black man, Hoke. Miss Daisy immediately regards him with disdain and he, in turn, is not impressed with his employer's patronizing tone. Slowly and steadily the dignified, good-natured Hoke breaks down the stern defenses of the ornery old lady. By the end of the play, it is movingly clear that they have both come to realize they have more in common than they ever believed possible. 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays July 10 – 27. 2200 Buford Highway, Buford. Please call 770-945-6762 or visit www.bufordcommunitycenter.com.

'THE VISITOR'Performing Arts North at the Dancing Goat Theatre Presents “The Visitor.” The Visitor is a heart-warming, funny, magical story about two families who have let a tragedy tear them apart and whose children, as a result, have become unruly. It takes the wisdom and magic of a special visitor to bring them back together as they realize the value of love and friendship over possessions. This is the inaugural production of the Young Writers Series, a new program designed for playwrights, ages 7-15, allowing them to experience a "page-to-stage" working of their original or adapted script. Show times vary. July 5 – 19. 10700 State Bridge Road, Johns Creek. Please call 770-772-0762 or visit www.performingartsnorth.org.

BUTTERFLY ENCOUNTER EXHIBITThe new "Butterfly Encounter Exhibit” at the CNC invites visitors to hand-feed more than 200 free flying butterflies. Come out for a truly unique butterfly experience. Get nose to proboscis with hundreds of free flying, native butterfly species in this temporary live butterfly exhibit. While you are here, learn how you can attract these beautiful creatures to your garden. Butterfly host and nectar plants will be available for sale. 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Through July 13. 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell. Please call 770-992-2055 or visit www.chattnaturecenter.org.

CIVIL WAR LIVING HISTORY EXHIBITThis year marks the Sesquicentennial of the Federal Army’s occupation of Roswell in July of 1864. Each day, in partnership with the Roswell Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, a reenactment of the arrest of the Roswell Manufacturing Company’s mill workers will be staged in the town square. There will also be an encampment of Federal soldiers on the front lawn of Barrington Hall. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. July 12 – 13. 535 Barrington Drive, Roswell. Please call 770-640-3855 or visit www.southerntrilogy.com.

RACES AND BENEFITS >>

COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES 5KBe a part of something big as we take part in a color run to benefit adoptive children, families in crisis and those in foster care in Forsyth. The course is safely designed for a 5K timed race inside the fairgrounds with lots of surprises. And, when you finish, an after party featuring live music, food, and a giant group paint throw. 8 a.m. - Noon. July 12. 235 Castleberry Rd, Cumming. Please call 770-886-9505 or visit www.safft.org/color.

GEORGIA EQUINE RESCUE BENEFIT POLO MATCHChukkar Farm in Alpharetta is hosting a polo match. All proceeds will benefit the Georgia Equine Rescue League to support rescue horses. Gates open at 1:00 p.m. and the polo match will begin at 2:00 p.m. Bring your lawn chairs and picnic baskets. Bottled water, soft drinks, hamburgers and hot dogs will be available. There will be a flea market and silent auction. This is an opportunity to watch an exciting polo match and learn about expert horsemanship. 1 – 5 p.m. July 13. 1140 Liberty Grove Road, Alpharetta. Please call 770-906-0655 or visit www.chukkarfarm.com.